


Jetlag Ain't The Half Of It

by TheMockingCrows



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Fever, Food Poisoning, Hand Jobs, M/M, Multi, Sickfic, Striderpile, Vomiting, brief mention of shower sex, guardiancest predominantly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 13:31:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12322020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMockingCrows/pseuds/TheMockingCrows
Summary: With David working on location being a key part of his job, it means he's far away from home for weeks and months at a time. Bro, Dave, and Dirk usually make do and occupy themselves while he's gone and wait for him to come back while living their own lives. This time however, there's no way for David to get back to Texas and the wait till his next chance to visit is far too long to bear. The compromise? Bro, Dave, and Dirk will fly out and spend that visit time in Bangkok with him instead. Such a perfect spontaneous vacation and such a perfectly convenient solution, what could go wrong?





	Jetlag Ain't The Half Of It

**Author's Note:**

> Commissioned fic for someone who wished to remain anonymous. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> tumblr mirorr: http://themockingcrows.tumblr.com/post/166241214302/jetlag-aint-the-half-of-it

     David traveling to locations far and near for work was normal. Dave, Dirk, and Bro were usually left behind while he was globetrotting and staying up horrendous lengths of time, surviving on energy drinks, coffee, and the occasional imbibing of actual food. Him popping up online was common place, name marked with a red dot to show he shouldn't be disturbed, but the rare times he'd ping any of the others was a memorable affair.

     “Oh, shit, cryptid sighting,” Dave said after David sent him a message.

     “What? Bigfoot finally bust in and steal your Eggos?” Dirk asked from his side of the room. Dave turned his head to glance at him in confusion. ..Didn't he know? Any time David sent a message out, Dirk was normally all over it and excited, hoping it was news of him getting some down time and coming home. He always brought back trashy knickknacks, clothes, snacks, things that came from tourist traps and things that he swore were given to him by strangers on the street that he kept because they seemed neat.

     “No. David messaged me, didn't he copy you on it?”

     Dirk paused, then hit his keyboard to pop up the right window, frowning. No new messages.

     “..No, I guess not. Do you think Bro got copied at least?”

     Without even trying to guess, Dave turned back around and sent Bro that exact question. He didn't get a text answer, but instead got a loud call from the living room of “No, that fucker didn't copy me on jack shit, what's so important that he could only tell you of all people?”

     “Bitter much?” Dave snorted. “It ain't a good look on ya, Bro.”

     “He's just pissy that David left while he was still sleeping last time.”

     “I am NOT pissy, I'm pissed off that he couldn't be bothered to do better than a fuck and run for someone he's been sleeping with for long as he has me. Yet again.”

     “Well, he said goodbye to both of us,” Dirk pointed out.

     “Only because neither of you gremlins ever sleep at a decent time, and he's still been fuckin' me longest, so your argument's moot,” Bro called out from the living room again.

     “You know, you could just type that all out. Or come in here. Or talk normally, we can hear you just fine out there,” Dirk groused. “Don't have to yell every little thing.”

     “And deny the neighbors the update on my sex life? Perish the thought. The fuck'd David say, Dave, don't keep us waiting.”

     “Oh. Shit, right, uh.. Lemme actually read it,” Dave said, ignoring the snickering coming from the living room and the creak of Dirk's chair as he stood up and came to Dave's half of the room, draping over his shoulders in a lazy clinging motion. “...Wow.”

     Dirk squinted at the screen and leaned forward. “..No way.”

     “What,” Bro called. “What, I hear you two going on about something, what's the deal?”

     “Start packin',” Dave said. “David wants us to pack our bags, bring our passports, and be at the airport in a few hours. He already got our tickets sorted out, we're going to visit HIM apparently.” Though Dirk made an interested sound and pulled off to go start pulling shirts from his half of the closet and eagerly pack, the creak of Bro getting up from the futon to come down the hallway while complaining was far more imposing.

     “..... YOU ARE FUCKIN' KIDDING ME. Are you serious? You're fuckin' serious. I'm gonna whoop his ass when I see him, pulling this kinda bullshit. Fucking seriously? He couldn't be bothered to send anything at all ahead of time, we just gotta drop our entire lives and run if we wanna see him this time? How the fuck long would we even be gone for?”

     “Doesn't say,” Dave said with a shrug, swiveling his chair around with open hands to shrug at Bro as he stood in the doorway. “....We not goin'?”

     “Of course we're going, pack your shit. I'm just gonna deck him when I see him,” Bro said, crossing his arms and looking as if it were the most natural sequence of events in the world. “If he knows how shit his planning was, he'll think ahead enough to duck.”

     “What if he's too tired to duck and is just happy to see us,” Dirk asked, going to the drawers to get out pants, underwear and socks while also disrupting Dave's less organized belongings.

     “Then he gets a five finger induced nap and wakes up with a headache but a full family around him. Should be nice. We'll take pictures,” Bro said, turning on his heel to go and get his dufflebag, wondering where everyone's passports were.

     “Wonder where we're going though, should we pack jackets and stuff? Shorts?” Dirk asked. “What's the weather like?”

     “I've got no idea. ..I guess we could always hope it's a place that has our sizes and just grab some new stuff while we're there?” Dave said as he stood up and pulled out his backpack, prepared to start rolling clothes to make them fit better, hands up for Dirk to throw some items at him to work with.

     “Dave, most of the world carries our size. We're not exactly the biggest things out there.”

     “We're not the smallest either and you've got those stupid boxy shoulders and those skinny ass hips,” Dave pointed out, squawking when Dirk nailed him in the face with a set of jeans before pelting him with underwear and socks.

     “Stop flirtin' and get packin' for real, security'll be a bitch to get through irregardless. Why didn't he copy everyone on there though, it some kinda cryptic hint? Will Dave be the name the tickets are reserved under instead of me?” Bro asked, cranking open his drawers to start scooping some things out, slowing only a moment to debate which hats to bring along. He settled on one that would look better in a sunny beach setting and one that was more for all occasions, a bit generic but with character. Bro twitched when his phone suddenly buzzed, hearing two other sounds at the same time from the boys' room. He flicked his eyes over the screen after bringing it up and sighed, shaking his head. Apologies for clicking Dave and not the usual group setup, apparently he was super tired. Bro understood but when paired with the last second travel plans and the residual annoyance at the last time he saw him in person, it was still more than enough to irk him.

     “D says-” Dave started, only to have Dirk cut him off.

     “Dave, we all got it this time, you just heard me get one too. He must be really tired if he hit send before checking where the message was going for sure.” What if he'd sent another dick pic to the wrong person again?

     “Well, he didn't before, I wanted to be sure! Sorry for being considerate, I'll remember to be a douche next time just for you.”

     “Your natural habita-”

     Bro thumped his fist on the wall two times sideways, a heavy knock. “I hear a lot of talking and not a lot of packing. Take a leak before we go too, just trust me. Be ready within a half hour, I'll heat some food up, come get some when you hear it ding. Third degree mouth burns'll have to wait till we get to the other side, so try and remember to blow on it this time?”

\- - - - - - - -

     None of them had ever set foot in Thailand before. Or anywhere near it, actually. David, bags beneath his eyes and all, was waiting solo for them at the airport with a small sign graced with the loosest formation of a dick and balls he could get away with in public. Dave and Dirk darted over fast to jump on him, a habit they'd had since they were still kids, and Bro hung back to watch with loosely folded arms once he was out of the way of everyone's foot traffic.

     “..You're not still pissed, are you?” David asked, fighting down the twins with a hand each best he could. “I apologized for the message mix up and the short notice already, right? It was either this or not see you guys for another six weeks, the schedule's too tight to have me far away for long if something goes wrong and they need me.”

     Bro rolled his eyes behind his shades, but eventually came closer and grasped David by the back of the head, drawing his close enough to mess up his perfectly styled hair and kiss his temple before shoving down briefly and freeing his hand as he walked by. “C'mon, let's get the bags. You sure you got all your carry on shit out?”

     “We're carrying it, so. Yeah,” Dave said. “Where we going, David?”

     “Better question is where are we not going,” he said, releasing Dave and Dirk in favor of trying to finger comb his hair back into position while following after Bro to baggage claim. “Hope you guys don't have travel fatigue already, we've got a long day ahead.”

     Dirk groaned loud enough that passerby stared at him, and rubbed at his face. “Are you serious?? D, please, come on. A shower at least. A nap. Something. Anything. The flight to Seattle was doable, the flight to Seoul murdered my legs, and now just getting here I'm ready to fall over.”

     “..Your point?”

     “My twenty nine hours of traveling say nuts to your immediate tourist game, I'm seeing vapor trails. Let us nap first,” Dirk insisted.

     “Feed us too,” Dave chimed. “ACTUAL food.”

     “The boys have spoken and my lower back agrees,” Bro said. “Take us to the hotel first. This a place with night stuff, right? We can see that first, do day stuff tomorrow.”

     Hands tied, there was only one thing to do: David led the way out to their ride and whisked them away to the hotel.

\- - - - - -

     The hotel room was pretty swanky, and left none of the Striders wanting, though they did tease David about not going five star. In his defense, there wasn't much need to go five star when the variety was so nice for so many of them in much better locations. Instead of being stuck up in some hoity toity tower, they'd be much closer to some damn tasty food and have more adventures.

     Two good sized beds, lovely decorations from the lobby to the room itself on the walls and bedspread and a good view were a good start. An air conditioner that made the room feel like ice was an even better one after walking through the soupy air outside. Bro was glad he'd packed spare hats, he'd probably be stuck washing them daily with how much he was going to sweat. Texas had nothing on humidity like this. The good water pressure was what won Dave and Dirk over entirely after the bed passed the comfort test, all but fighting each other for the chance to use it first before deciding to just share the space.

     “Bro, you're never gonna fit in here, the spouts too short,” Dirk called, Dave laughing behind him.

     “Gonna have to squat, blow your old man knees out,” Dave said.

     Bro didn't rise from the bed to complain, simply lifted his arm up to flip the bird in the direction of Dave and Dirk's now visible forms, face planted in the cushions and shades folded nearby. He wanted to sleep before even trying to shower, wanted to decompress his spine and knees from being crammed in the too-small seat on the plane. Claustrophobic shit had nothing on his long legs, it was a massacre that only aspirin could repair.

     Or, aspirin and David's wandering hands.

     When Dirk and Dave's bare feet pattered away into the bathroom again and got the shower going, their conversation and back and forth teasing became less easy to make out. The mattress Bro was resting on creaked, and he felt David's hands settle alongside his hips, then his ribs before his weight sank down on his back and his hat was pulled off, set aside by his shades. The collar of his shirt was pulled away before the warm press of David's lips teased at his nape.

     “You too mad at me to let me rub your back a bit? We might even be able to get Dave or Dirk to walk on it when they're done in there,” he said softly there, warm air tickling Bro's skin.

     “Might try to figure out how to book a massage somewhere, I don't think you've got enough stamina to deal with this train wreck,” Bro grunted as David pulled back and sat upright, pressing at a familiar site with minimal warning and drawing out a loud crackle sound as something was coaxed back into place. Bro's grunt shifted to a happy groan that repeated with each satisfying crackle David earned with his pushing hands. The massage was more chiropractic rescue than rubdown, but it was needed all the same. He felt pleasantly light headed by the time David crawled off his back and settled next to him on the mattress, eyes toward the ceiling and head cradled atop a soft cushion.

     “That at least a dent in it?”

     “Several,” Bro mumbled.

     “...You're _really_ that pissed about the last second travel thing and me jacking up a message? Jesus, what crawled up your ass and got you so tetchy?”

     Bro was quiet for a moment in thought, but David was continuing to talk. It was the same habit that Dave had, running at the mouth till someone else slammed on the brakes for him because he couldn't help himself, and once the wagon got rolling there was next to nothing that could stop it alone. When he started hearing his supposed sensitivity being compared to wilder and wilder things, Bro finally pushed himself up onto his hands, scooted sideways as if he were stuck in a half push up, and quickly scuttled over top of David before he could hope to push him off. He pressed their lips together, silencing him at last, and held the pose for a moment before stealing several heated kisses in a row.

     The bathroom echoed at the other side of the room, and it was pretty easy to tell that Dave and Dirk weren't just washing up and getting out to dry and dress. There were mumbles and murmurs, the occasional sound of hurried motion, and the rarer breathy noises above the sound of the water running that couldn't be attached to a specific person. David remained quiet but hungry, reaching up with free arms to clasp at Bro's lower back as if he'd move and leave him behind at any moment. Though the kiss went deeper, it didn't last forever. David winced as Bro bit his lip before pulling back far enough to look at his face with a frown.

     “I'm not bein' _sensitive_ , you jackass, I'm bein' _pissed_ at you for doing the leaving without waking me up shit like it's some one night stand. I don't care if you're trying to let me sleep late or whatever, it's not some complementary nice thing when it means the next time I'll get to see you is literal _months_ later,” Bro muttered.

     “Alright, alright, I didn't think it was that big a deal, but fine. I'm sorry. I'll wake you up from now on before I go. Make it nice and mushy, give your balls a fond pat goodbye.”

     “I'm holding you to that. Same as I'm holding you to payin' the price for getting on my bad side,” Bro said as he rolled free to rest on his side, taking pressure off his lower backs and hips in hopes of being able to twist and pop that as well before long.

     “Price, huh? What's the price for denying you a decent goodbye enough times.”

     “This one, I'm not leaving till you give me a memorable orgasm and some good pics to go home with. Maybe a video. Dick pics kinda lose their glamour when half of'em are taken in shit lighting or what I'm pretty sure is a port-a-john.”

     David sat up to look at Bro closer, brows lifted. “Hey, not my fault, shooting hours are crazy and locations can get pretty remote, not every pic is gonna be golden as the ones you three send. ..Are you serious? I'm supposed to be on break, I'm not taping jack shit.”

     “Lucky me, I've got a tripod and a phone with great quality, Dave brought his camera stuff, and I can guarantee if I leave Dirk for ten minutes on Google he'd know how to work just about anything he sets his hands on. It'll work even if you won't.”

     He still looked a bit hesitant, not wanting to agree to anything ahead of time out of habit. He was fickle by nature, flighty with projects by virtue of knowing that if he committed to something he'd be dedicated to making it absolutely match what was in his head no matter how long it took. A sex tape on the fly was no recipe for perfection, even with how bright the lights in the hotel room were.

     “..Deal. I'll do it. BUT! One condition: I ain't doing the shooting itself.”

     “Deal.”

     Both of their heads jerked up when they heard a sudden loud moan from the bathroom, Dave from the sound of it, and both were just as quick to visibly flinch when the distinct sounds of two wet bodies suddenly hitting the wet floor followed.

     “I TOLD you it wouldn't work! You're not strong enough for that!” complained Dave.

     “No, I'm strong enough for it, you moved! I told you to keep your leg still.”

     “You didn't say that, you said to lift it up!”

     “Why would I tell you to lift your leg up, I can't lift you for that long, and the floor's slick!”

     “How the fuck are you gonna reach right if I don't lift the leg up, Dirk, we both know your dick ain't _**that**_ long, don't even play that game.”

     David cupped his hand to his mouth to call out “Did you two bust anything in there?” The voices within went quieter, a hissed argument and what was probably a bit of loose slap fighting over who was at fault or not with no real force behind it.

     “Noooooo,” Dirk and Dave replied at the same time. “Nothing's broke, we're fine.”

     “Then rinse, call it a loss, and come take that nap you were so desperate for. I'll take you to eat after a rest, alright?”

     “...Alriiiiiiiiight.”

     Bro chuckled a bit at that and shook his head before reaching over David to get his hat. His hip cracked at long last, releasing the last of the pressure that had been hurting his back from the time spent trying to pretend he fit inside those airborne tins of human sardines, leaving him in blissful comfort as he rolled to his back and planted his cap over his face like a makeshift sleeping mask, drowning out the artificial light entirely.

     “Couldn't even fuckin' wait after all that moaning and whining about needing to rest.. Mn. Wake me up when ya'll go get food. And I dunno how much google translate'll help me, but I hope you know how to ask for liquor. I want a few drinks to celebrate arriving in one piece.”

     “You got it. I'll be sure to get you properly sloshed.”

\- - - - - - -

 

     David did not disappoint. Once everyone had slept for a few hours, Dave and Dirk tangled up on top of the covers, David snug against Bro's side, they cleaned up and headed out to cruise a night market. They sampled whatever smelled and looked good, and in some cases they were even saved by locals who noticed that they were getting price gouged and directed to some better spots to eat off the main path they were following.

     It was total sensory overload in the best possible way. Scents hung heavy in the humid air, people were crowded every way they looked and kept bumping against them. Dirk and Dave kept their hands linked when they weren't busy eating or drinking something, all the while following Bro's broad shouldered figure as he followed David's lead.

     Everyone burnt their mouths off at least twice and enjoyed every second, Bro got his drink finally when they stopped at an appropriate spot and got settled. David ordered something strong for himself and Bro, and something mixed and sweeter for the boys to enjoy over some more food, each cooling the burn with sips between conversation. It was decided that everyone wanted to try everything they could at least twice while they were there, even if it was only a bite.

     They didn't return to the hotel till late that night, keeping themselves quiet to not be obnoxious and somehow managing to keep their hands to themselves till they reached the room itself. The evening was spent in a fairly sloppy buzzed pile, kisses and touches soft and more than a little off balanced, everyone just happy to finally be back together at the same time. Annoyances were forgiven and forgotten, and the four passed out blissfully on the same bed in a tangle of arms and legs and torsos.

\- - - - - - -

     Each day was a new adventure. David looked exhausted but was keeping himself going with the occasional powerful container of Red Bull and a fully charged cell phone he only occasionally had to step aside to use for business related things. They were able to sort out transportation to visit temples and other places ranked as Must See nearby with some trial and error, got to travel along gorgeous coast line, experience touristy travel things in small groups with people from half a dozen countries shuffling along in a goose necking sweaty gaggle. Bro snagged different fabrics and threads and odds and ends he fell in love with on the spot, Dave took more pictures than he knew what to do with and Dirk got caught up in trying to learn how to properly pronounce everything he tried, even if he had no hope of spelling it properly. Everyone had sun burns and blisters on their feet at the end of each night, but they wouldn't change a thing.

     As awkward as the start of this visit had begun, it was shaping up to end as one of the best vacations they'd ever had. Breakfasts together, afternoons either in a group or split off in pairs, and nights spent returning together for dinner and drinks till thy retired to the hotel room again if they didn't just meet up at the 7-Eleven and grab some things to take back for the night instead. David brought Dave back one night in bright new clothes, while Bro and Dirk appeared wearing fresh flowers and carrying some carefully packaged spices they planned to have David send home for them. With only a few days left and the first frantic rushed waves of needing to hurry and see things sated, the adventures were becoming more laid back and relaxed. Easier to plan for with a bit of googling and wandering around lost.

     “Me and Dave're gonna hit up a floating market tomorrow, I think,” Bro said, leaning back in his chair and letting his knees spread. “Maybe troll around on the way back. Might be late for dinner.”

     “If you want we can just grab something extra and bring it back for you,” Dirk said. His only complaint about Thailand so far was the humidity was defeating his hair gel attempts, leaving his usually crisp appearance softer and loose. It made him look more relaxed, sleepy almost, and it was agreed on all around to be attractive even if he refused to listen. He was trying in vain to at least make the curly bits contain themselves for a little longer, but gave up when Dave reached for his hand lazily, wanting to play with his fingers while he rested off his dessert.

     “We might do the same. Tell ya what, you grab some things, we'll grab some things, and trade what's left when we get back,” Bro offered.

     David tipped his drink at him in a cheers. “You've got a deal. It far off? Need help setting up a ride? I'm pretty sure the lobby'd be happy to help again on getting' there at least.”

     “Nah, we can figure it out,” Dave said. “We've been doin' this a while now, shouldn't be hard. I've got a map.”

     “Gonna keep up the streak of not getting arrested?” David asked with a smirk. “You've done good so far, I'm surprised. Not a single run in with the cops.”

     “If you keep makin' it sound like a dare it'll happen, but I'll try and keep our dicks tucked away nice and proper, you can kiss'em personally when we get back,” Bro said, with Dave sticking his tongue out of a deadpan face for emphasis before it broke and he grinned.

     “Only you could take a sarcastic compliment and turn it into a dare..”

\- - - - -

     Something was wrong. It was three am, and Bro was wide awake. His stomach was aching, a cold sweat was clinging to his brow, and the room was giving him the sensation that it was warping all around him even while he lay completely still. He wanted to vomit, but was afraid of sitting upright, and felt his heart hammering in his rib cage. What was happening? He'd only had some beer with dinner, hadn't touched any of the little atomic peppers he'd learned quickly to spot.. What was wrong?

     A soft groan from the other side of the room caught his attention though, and instinctively he made himself sit up. It sounded like Dave. If one of the boys were sick, he needed to know, needed to make sure they were alright. His arms felt like noodles and moving at all made his stomach shift like a dead jellyfish, his skin prickled hot and cold needles along his neck and back. Even his shirt suddenly felt uncomfortable and foreboding, like cuddling with a cactus.

     Sure enough, Dave was out of bed, but hadn't gone far. He was laying flat on the floor on the way to the bathroom as if he'd headed that direction or back towards the bed and just given up entirely on moving. The floor was his home now, and he seemed prepared for that fate.

     Bro stood, wobbled, and locked his knees as a powerful head rush hit him. He'd actually felt his eyes try to roll back, light headed for all of a moment before his stomach punched him again worryingly. No. No, couldn't go down and couldn't give in to any urgency till he checked on Dave. What if he was groaning because he was hurt? Had he fallen? Maybe tripped somehow and hurt himself?

     When Bro was finally able to shuffle close enough, he let himself sink to his knees, then all fours to maintain his upright position through the wobbling distortions to his balance enough to reach out and gently shake Dave's shoulder. He kept his voice down, not wanting to disturb David or Dirk nearby out of their dreams.

     “Hey. ..Psst. Kiddo, you alright? The fuck you doin' on the floor?”

     Dave's skin was clammy, and the face that looked up at Bro in the patchy bits of artificial light that reached that far in through the window looked as though he'd been crying. He huffed a breath and rolled himself to be able to latch on to Bro's stabilizing arm. Bro was confused till he felt the unmistakable feeling of Dave suddenly dry heave and curl himself closer, shaking like a leaf.

     “You get sick recently?”

     “Yeah.. Both ends,” Dave admitted. “It's like I keep getting' punched. I don't get it..” Bro grimaced, but nodded in understanding. Maybe they had the same problem, then. Dave was smaller than Bro himself, anything that he had would be hitting him far harder by comparison, right? Maybe it was a bug. The fact David and Dirk had been swapping spit with both of them all week and were apparently getting off the hook cleanly was a bit annoying, but at least Dave wouldn't be stuck alone through this, right?

     A hard punch to hit gut hit again, and Bro visibly winced, trying to pry Dave free of his arm.

     “Move. Kid. Kid, I'm serious, move, I gotta move, please, let go,” he all but babbled as the urgency rose, scrambling in an ungainly crawl to the bathroom the second Dave let go of him. Dave's head lifted slightly, and he grimaced as he heard Bro suddenly going through the same damn thing he'd just experienced.

     “..Poor bastard,” he muttered, then rolled flat on his stomach to wait it out till it could be his turn again. The floor hurt, but it was a better hurt to focus on than his organs staging a mutiny en mass.

 

\- - - - - -

 

     “You're going to a hospital.”

     “No, I'm fuckin' not. Take Dave if you want, but I'm not goin' to a damn hospital. It's just a stomach bug,” Bro defended.

     Dirk had woken after hearing Dave getting sick sometime near dawn, not able to close the bathroom door before the wave of dry heaves wracked his body. It was a strange sight to come conscious to, really. The sounds of the city outside waking up, David snoring quietly, Bro curled up in a ball on the floor and Dave wilting as he prayed to the porcelain gods for mercy. He had to wake David to get them both upright enough to be put to bed, overheated bodies resting a hairs breadth apart to prevent that awful, sticky fever feeling from building up. The blankets were too warm, but between the heat and the chills the open air promised them, they agreed it was better under the blankets. After a few more near collapses from both of them rushing to the bathroom for one thing or another over the next hour and a half, they finally remained still to suffer in one spot.

     “I don't wanna go to a hospital,” Dave mumbled quietly, groaning and rolling to his side to curl around his pillow and wait out a stomach cramp. It'd been a few hours since he'd last been in the worst of the sick rush, but every other breath felt like he'd fall right back into it at a moments notice. “If he isn't going, I don't need t'go.. Oh, God, it feels like my stomach's stapling itself to something else in there.”

     “Did you guys ride a bus full of coughing people or something?” Dirk asked. He was guessing something had to have happened during their day trip to only be hitting the two of them, and was scrolling WebMD for some clues.

     “No, we ate'n drank and came back, had a great time. What else,” Bro grunted. “Shopped around a bit. Fuck man, I dunno, it was a floating market and coming back where everyone else was slowin' down to look at stuff.”

     “And a stall on the way back,” Dave reminded him. “We got smoothies.”

     “..Why'd you get smoothies?” David asked.

     “Because we were hot by the time we got back and didn't feel like going to the convenience store when it was literally right there?” Dave shrugged. “They were good. Lots of fruit and stuff in'em,” he mumbled, groaning when the mere thought of drinking anything made his stomach cramp uncomfortably.

     “Well, it's either cancer or food poisoning and unless cancer is suddenly contagious, it's prolly food poisoning,” Dirk decided after his symptom hunting had gone on long enough.

     “The hell'd we get food poisoning FROM,” Bro asked, voice quiet and miserable. “We didn't drink the water, we were careful to order from fresh lookin' places, avoided stuff that our guts prolly couldn't handle well, just like you said to!”

     “Might've been the fruit smoothies, then,” David shrugged. “I dunno. It's not the end of the world, but uh. Yeah, you two are goin' to a hospital.”

     “Over my dead body,” Bro growled. “Don't you dare try and make me, I don't _do_ hospitals. I don't do'em at home and I sure as fuck ain't gonna magically start being alright with it by goin' abroad.”

     “You really want that? It can be arranged, you look like Satan's cat horked up a nasty present,” David pointed out with a grimace. “What about Dave? Don't you want him checked out at least?”

     “He's not a kid, he wants to wait this out too then he's welcome to it,” Bro grunted. “Food poisoning won't kill us.”

     “Just make you wish for it,” Dirk offered.

     “Precisely.”

     David rubbed his temples slowly, and sat on the other empty bed with a frustrated groan. “You do know that you three are supposed to be leaving the day after tomorrow, right? If you're not on that plane, I'm gone anyway. I've gotta be back on set, no ifs ands or buts, and you'd be stuck figuring shit out on your own.”

     “It's Thailand, not the moon. You so worried, go get us some drugs to help,” Dave moaned. “Something out there's gotta help with these cramps, holy fuck..”

     “It's what they'd do at a hospital, right? Fluids'n drugs,” Bro agreed. “Find a pharmacy or somethin'. Thai Pepto Bismol or whatever the fuck. If it's pink and chalky, three chugs help and four fixes the problem, I don't need to be able to read the damn directions.”

     David still looked unconvinced, not comfortable with half his family laying like they were dying instead of doing the sensible thing and seeing a professional about it. Dirk looked worried, but not frantic. Instead he seemed to be trying to think what would work best, and working over Google best he could. Finally, he looked up and jiggled his phone a bit.

     “D. I could, uh. I could try and go find something. I think I know what kind of place I'm looking for, it's one symbol to try matching up and I'm sure at least one person in a pharmacy'd understand dedicated charades attempts if they didn't know English. Can just get drinks and something bland at the 7-Eleven on the way back.”

     “You ain't going alone, I'll come with you,” David said automatically.

     “Dude. I'm a grown ass man, I can run an errand on my own, thanks. Besides, if Bro goes down again I can't get him up alone. It's better you stay here with them,” Dirk said as he hopped up and ran to grab his shoes and wallet. “I'll be back soon, alright? Let me back in when I knock, I'll bring breakfast for us too. Hell, I'll even get that cake you like.”

     “Call if yo-”

     “Get into trouble or somehow spontaneously cease being capable of bearing the massive burden of your increasingly crushing familial expectations, yes, I know,” Dirk said, heading for the door with a wave and departing before David could shout after him. He was left to awkwardly stare over at the miserable looking shapes of Dave and Bro as they shook under the blankets, not quite sure what to do with himself.

     “I.. uh. I guess if you need anything I'm here, but that won't mean much till Dirk gets back with something to give you,” he said. The desire to take a smoke break was eating at him now. Stress always made nicotine a dire emergency to obtain, and who was he to stand in the way of what his body was craving?

     A man very concerned about leaving family sick and unattended because another of the younger took off at top speed at the first opportunity, that's who.

     Dave let out a quiet groan but seemed like he was trying to catch a cat nap or at least lay very still and quiet while he waited for the medicine to arrive. The one positive of not getting nearly enough sleep in a night was the higher chance to suddenly pass out when it really counted. Bro seemed to be his best hope of company right now, or at least the only one he needed to watch as actively. When he lifted a hand up and loosely signaled to David, it took seconds for him to pop over and lean down to listen near his mouth.

     “Could you wet a washcloth or somethin' for me..? Bring it over?”

     “A washcloth? Why?”

     “If I could take a shower I would, everything's sweat and I'm pretty sure I reek much as Dave does, but my face feels nasty and I wanna wipe it down.”

     “Oh. Yeah, hold on,” he said as he stood and hurried towards the bathroom, looking around for the clean washcloth that was left. A quick run under the faucet, cold and refreshing before being wrung out, and it was brought back to be mopped gently over Bro's forehead. He hissed, sucked a breath in sharply, and reached up to snag David's wrist as tight as he could to yank him down. There wasn't much force there, strength lacking in his current state, but David moved his arm where he seemed to be aiming almost by instinct.

     “Are you tryin' to fucking kill me, holy shit, a little warning??”

     “Warning? You _asked_ for a wa-”

     “Warm water exists...! I haven't been sweatin' for shits and giggles, David, holy shit that feels like ice!”

     “Maybe it's just what you need, then,” David said, pulling his wrist loose and swiping over Bro's overheated face again, chasing his temples and the sides of his neck while he tried to get away. It hurt him to move much, and while he grimaced miserably and slowed down because of the ache, it certainly made the washing of his face a lot easier. A dick move, but hey, David would take what he could get. He hadn't anticipated playing nurse maid for this trip, he'd anticipated at worst sunburns and headaches, maybe a thrown back from busy nights.

     With Ambrose cleaner but glowering at him like a surly tom cat, David got up and rinsed the washcloth. Again, he got it cold and damp, squeezed the water from it, and returned to reach out with it.

     “Oh no you fuckin' don't, keep that away from me, what part of 'fuck you that's cold' don't you understand.”

     “The part about it being ice cold, you being boiling hot, and somehow trying to cool you down being a bad idea. Don't people, y'know, die when fevers get too high?” he asked, again ignoring Bro's attempts at stopping him in favor of plopping the icy cold cloth on his forehead while he shivered.

     “Cruel and unusual doesn't even BEGIN to describe what this is. Next time you get a sunburn on your back, I'm slappin' the shit out of it,” Bro groused, no energy left to fight, but enough left to complain. Mostly. The same fatigue that took Dave was trying to take Bro away now, cold cloth and all. He kept sagging every so often, drifting in and out of slumber without meaning to. While David was sure this was normal, he couldn't help but start counting the minutes till Dirk would return.

 

\- - - - - - - - -

 

     For the invalids, Dirk's return had been full of medicine he promised would help with the symptoms (or at least according to the man at the pharmacy he'd found it would, since he couldn't read what the bottles said) if they could get it down and keep it down, Gatorade, and bland looking hot food. For David and himself, he'd picked up something fresh and hot from the 7-Eleven along with some canned drinks, more bottles of water, and some packaged sweets to go with David's promised cake. Dave and Bro forced the medicine down and spent most of the day barely moving, waking only for an assisted run to the bathroom or to change beds when housekeeping was available to come change the bedding for them.

     Dirk remained in charge of runs out if they needed anything, but otherwise spent the day wasting his time online or finding different movies to watch with everyone. Only he and David were for sure awake through the entire film, with Bro and Dave missing chunks at a time or in some cases the whole thing from start to credits.

     It wasn't an instant cure by any means.. but it did seem to be helping. Dave showed eventual interest in ice cream which was better than the continuing streak of medicine and Gatorade, with Bro beginning to follow not long after and requesting different flavors. By evening, Dirk had been able to carefully get Dave to the shower with David, and spent some time washing him down while he perched miserably on a short stool and endured the temperature fluctuations. He was already skinny but looked like he'd dropped a few pounds almost overnight, probably not that bad of a guess considering the fever and rapid loss of fluids and all the walking and sweating they'd been doing before that having fun and trying to cram as much of Bangkok and the surrounding areas as they could into their limited time.

     Bro was stubborn about washing up till late into the night, finally relenting with David's help once the boys were asleep. Dave had gone to the other bed to curl up, as the others had wanted to watch the same movie and he just wanted to listen to music and sleep, and Dirk had gone to gently tuck in behind him to play big spoon when he felt tired as well.

     “Careful, don't fall,” David warned, “I can catch you but the sudden drop this early wouldn't be that easy to catch.”

     “I ain't gonna fall, just lift when I scoot down'n off the mattress,” Bro said, slowly shuffling himself to the edge and trying to tense his arms when it came time for David to lift. He didn't fall, David grunted and tried to keep him lifted enough, and together they shuffled him in to the bathroom for the first time in what felt like ages without it being prompted by an emergency and pain. David tugged his boxers down before helping him settle onto the stool in the shower, then removed his shirt, fussing around to get shampoo and soap set up, everything in range. He tried not to focus on how Bro swayed on his seat, the way the hair of his arms and legs and nape stood up, the gooseflesh rising just from the bit of cooler air.

     “You want help, or is this good? You can reach the knobs and everything, right?”

     “..Much as I wanna do it myself, I think I'm gonna just change that price I said you'd have to pay. Drop the orgasm, help me wash up, and I'll wobble my ass onto those planes when they arrive without a single regret,” Bro said. “I'm glad we came to visit, but right now I just wanna lay on the futon and play some Xbox while making Dirk go get some slushies.”

     Lifting his brow at the request, David shrugged it off. Alright. They'd split the shower, then, and save him getting drenched from the spray as well. He stepped out of his clothing, folding them loosely and setting them to the side. His cigarette pack fell out, more than half empty, reminding him he wanted to go for a break again after this was done and Bro was resting or watching a movie again. When he was naked, he headed in and shut the way behind him to keep from flooding everything, cranking the water on while holding a washcloth over the shower head to keep from hitting both of them with cold water as the pipes brought the hot up right after.

     Bro did most of his own washing while David rinsed and scrubbed himself down, but accepted help with his back and hair, hissing quietly under the motions every so often.

     “Ffffuck, my skin still feels like it's getting' scratched by every little thing. Nerves're going batshit.”

     “Does the soap feel different than the water when it goes down your skin?” David wondered, crouching down behind Bro to get his lower back and hips, making sure to get rid of the residue the sweat and sickness had left on him. He was pretty sure his skin'd squeak by the time he was done helping him, and the idea was actually fairly cute to consider for a guy as big as Bro was.

     “Everything feels different, man, and not all of it's good. Some of it just _hurts_ ,” he said.

     Most of the soap and shampoo was rinsed off in one go, Bro's hair hanging in his eyes, looking exhausted just from this little bit of effort. He'd get more sleep on the planes, as would Dave, but he had a feeling Dirk would wind up being in charge of lugging around most of their luggage for the journey. Ah well, that's what carts were for. Leaning against Bro's back, he reached down to rub his hands over his thighs and stomach, making sure all the soap residue had come off, not wanting to find any surprises while trying to dry him off. He felt Bro twitch beneath his gentle touch and tip his head back, leaning back on the stool to brace his weight against his torso.

     David wasn't sure why he did it. Perhaps it was a callback to his original promise of payment for not saying goodbye properly, maybe it was just because they were naked in the shower together. More likely though, was maybe it was because like this, Bro was completely vulnerable, a few notches down on that intensely proud pedestal he'd carved for himself over the years, ego quieted down. He was sweet and shaky and still too warm, hyper-sensitive to touch, and so trusting. When David reached a slick hand down to grasp Bro's cock and give it a squeeze, the most Bro did was mumble a few curses and lean back heavier.

     No complaints.

     No telling him to stop.

     No bargaining.

     Bro accepted David's hand working his length till he got hard the same as he accepted the sturdy arm around his back to keep him propped upright, not wanting to risk falling off the stool at such a time. They kept it all quiet, the loudest thing in the shower the falling water and the occasional heavy breath from Bro, David murmuring softly by his ear that he loved him, that he'd miss him so bad till he got home, that he loved him and the boys so much and was so glad they got to visit. That he was handsome, that he was going to fuck him senseless the next time he got to come home to make up for this being the sendoff. Bro shut him up when he stopped waxing poetic, got distracted, and started to make comparison's between Bro's dick and a summer's day by kissing him hard as he could.

     Achieving orgasm while sick was like being hit by lightning. It was overwhelming in a whole new way, left Bro twitching against David and struggling to catch his breath even after the spurts of semen had long since been washed down the drain with the final bubbles from the soap. They kissed till Bro had to stop, feeling dizzy, feeling more cramps coming on. David slept flat on his back that night with no alarm set for the morning and his phone put on silent, with Bro daisy fresh and dead to the world sprawled over him like a massive affectionate dog.

 

\- - - - - - -

 

     “You're sure you've got everything?”

     “Yeah, David, we do. I got all the passports in one spot, electronics ready to pop out later, everything's fully charged,” Dirk said.

     Dave and Bro looked considerably less pale, though that could probably be attributed to the fact they'd stuffed themselves to the gills with medicine and were quietly drinking Gatorade and nibbling at some blander snacks. David and Dirk were the ones coordinating the packing, the toting, adjusting the carry on luggage and plotting out the things to look for at the layovers if it were needed before their checkout time. David would be seeing them off at the airport before taking off right afterwards to the filming location again, ready to dive in with both fist to undo all the mistakes that had been likely made while he was indisposed.

     “And this bag's shit you need me to mail home, yeah?” David asked, shaking a plastic bag.

     “No, that one and the other four are,” Dave said.

     “Oh. Right, yeah. Memory cards, charging cor-”

     “I think we're good, David,” Bro said. He'd put on a shirt he'd picked up as a souvenir for the trip back, soft and comfortable and bright. “We packed with no forewarning and left the country faster than this, relax.”

     “Hey, less shit to worry about the better, it's my job. I'm prepping to get back to work this afternoon, remember?”

     “Yeah, yeah. Remembering how to be a dick more like,” Dave said, sipping his drink a few more times. “We've got this. I'm just ready to go home, man.”

     “When's the next time we'll see you?” Bro asked.

     “Uhhh... Prolly another few months. I'll be seeing you online by tomorrow though. Dave, you gonna feel up to uploading any of those pictures you took soon?”

     “Don't rush me, it's art. I'll be editing shit for a month at least.”

     “I'll send the pics from my phone,” Bro said.

     David's phone buzzed, the alarm he'd set for their checkout time going off and signaling that it truly was time to go. They took a moment to all get a good kiss goodbye in before they left the room, Dirk helping the guide the trolley with the luggage on it, while Dave hitching a ride by sitting on an open space and crossing his legs. Bro and David stayed in the doorway for a second, looking over the room that had stepping up briefly to be a second home when it was needed, and grinned a bit.

     For better or worse, this had been one of the best vacations ever overall, and they'd both be remembering it more fondly than not.

 


End file.
